Your Very Own Personal Stylist: The Chapar Tried And Tested

As someone who writes about clothing on a near-daily basis, I surprisingly don’t like shopping all that much. That aversion is multiplied at this time of the year. A trip to pick up a new shirt or shoes becomes an expedition Scott would of been proud of. Battling the crowd, becomes just that, a war, requiring some sort of specialist equipment to get through, elbow pads or cattle prod perhaps; failing that, the patience of a shelled animal.

It’s not that I intrinsically dislike having to wade through christmas-crazed shoppers meandering at a snail’s pace – I lied, I do, who doesn’t? But there’s also the matter of overworked and overstressed shop assistants. Compounding my misery even more; why is it that stores that have the central heating on and turned all the way up? It’s cold out, I’m wearing a coat, entering into your sauna of an establishment thus instantly puts the sweat glands into overdrive, leaving me uncomfortable for the rest of this odyssey for a something as simple as a plain white button-down.

Being able to buy clothing online has obviously been my modern equivalent to sliced-bread, although it comes with certain drawbacks. I, like most men – like to think anyway – can struggle with off the peg sizing. If the sleeves are just the right length, the body is too short or vice-versa and then I can never quite muster the time, energy or frame of mind to fill out the form and find myself in a post office to send it back. Leaving my bank account a little lighter and my wardrobe a little fuller.

Enter the Chapar. The sartorially inclined, online personal shopping service.

After filling out just a few simple questions about my personal style on their website, what I like to wear, sizing and what I’m looking for, I get a prompt call from my stylist, Chelsea. She has a few more questions for me and just two days later I have a trunk waiting for me. Christmas has come early.

Eager to see what’s inside and how close Chelsea had got to my style ideals after just a five minute conversation, I nearly miss how neatly and elegantly packaged the clothing is. Considering the service is essentially free, you only pay for what you keep, and nothing above retail price either, the trunk is immaculately presented inside. Bundles of clothes are tied with string, jackets precisely folded and separated by tissue paper and a welcome note tucked inside along with some outfit suggestions.

Of course, the crucial component is the contents. And let’s just say Chelsea and The Chapar didn’t disappoint. Firstly, they’ve not rammed expensive clothing that I couldn’t afford down my throat, or through my letter box. My trunk largely consists of items under £100.00, with a few higher ticket garments and only two above £200.00. There’s a good range of tops, from Sunspel classics to a sumptuous Hartford sweatshirt. Jeans from Levis, knits from Farah and John Smedley and jackets from the likes of Scotch & Soda and a great deconstructed, soft-shouldered Gant Rugger blazer; good quality brands with even better heritage and construction. My build and size has also evidently been considered as most of it fits me perfectly.

In total, 16 items arrived in my first trunk and there’s no expectation for me to keep them all or any for that matter, although I certainly wouldn’t’ve minded the lion’s share – if my bank manager had let me that is. When it comes to returning items, my life is made easy, one call or email to my stylist and a courier is arranged to pick up from my office what I didn’t keep.

The Chapar is ultimately time-saving and hassle-free. Naturally, we all want to look our best but it’s never easy to find the time. The service eradicates the stress-filled shopping, the inconvenience of returning purchases bought online and even the time it takes to find and style a look, in one quick, well-presented swoop.

This article has been written in collaboration with The Chapar. For more information visit The Chapar.